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January 27, 2008
Bloody London
Apparently the people at Clovis like to screw with my head, because they put the poster up for Sweeney Todd but so far haven't bothered to actually put the movie up on a screen. I've been trying to get some sort of movie date deal going to see it, and we finally just gave in and drove to Lubbock this weekend to catch it with Professor Tech.
I was not about to give any hints to the hubby on what was going to happen. He's a Depp fan, of course, but if he knew the subject matter (or that the movie was going to have a pretty good gore factor) he probably would have preferred to wait for video. So, of course, I get a nice big giggle when we get our first big gushing slice and the hubby cringes. He still liked it. He loved the soundtrack. But he's not going to watch it again.
I rather liked it. It's got the expected Burton/Depp chemistry, and loads of that uber-gothick ambience. In fact, it's so gloomy that in the middle when they do a quick cut to a sunny picnic scene it gets so bright by contrast that it hurt my eyes. This is the only version of the story I've ever seen though, so I don't have that psycho perfectionist thing going that is supposed to make me hate anything that isn't the original. I'll let the theater wonks do that and just be happy with having enjoyed my time. And for those of you who haven't seen it and are curious, here is a teensy spoiler you may appreciate - I'm not kidding about the gore, this movie gushes.
So after the movie we go back to Prof. Tech's place for dinner and games. It turns out that our just-after-midnight movie DVD selection was 28 Weeks Later. I've been wanting to watch it, because I really liked 28 Days Later. I'm not one of those crazy zombie freakout people, but I do like a nice living dead movie now and then. This time we were nice enough to let the hubby know what he was getting into.
This movie was definitely more tense than the first one. I remember being surprised at the relatively relaxed pace in 28 Days. (Relatively, mind you, as in not having jumps and shaky camera scream moments for the whole last 2/3 of the movie.) Well 28 Weeks does not fuck around. It does give a nice break after the initial in media res massacre, where you get your necessary chunk of plot, but once the zombie action kicks in again it just keeps on going. Definitely a good addition to the fast-zombie genre.
However, there are nits to pick. Well, only one of note really. This one is a sure spoiler, so if you don't want this bit ruined I suggest you stop reading now. Ready? - WTF is up with the dad in this movie? Is he the new fucking superbreed of zombie? That sonofabitch is chasing those kids constantly, he always shows up to be the next big freaky jump. Does he have a GPS installed or something? I can understand the whole trauma thing they're trying to play out here, and it works for a while, but give me a break. I just don't buy that he manages to always be ready to leap out at his kids every time the movie needs to start another chase sequence.
I am willing to forgive that little nonsense though, because there is the gorgeous payoff near the end. One of the military guys has a big pissy moment when one of the refugees tries to leap on the helicopter (which is a major no-no at this point in the movie). He flies all crazy, trying to fling the guy off the skids, then he takes the copter into a forward thrust and pulls off this great move. As soon as he went for it I was cheering and laughing my ass off, because this is so exactly the kind of thing that my friends and I would do in a game - Shadowrun, in fact. I can see this exact same moment in a Shadowrun game. The helicopter pilot does a full-on lawnmower slash-fest on a big crowd of zombies. It is so great - body parts and gore everywhere. It is so nasty, so over the top, I'm still grinning over it.
So, two movies, set in London, caked with gore. How was your weekend?
Filed under "Brain candy" by damyano at 08:42 PM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2008
The Tim Gunn rule
Last night's challenge was a perfect example of the Tim Gunn rule. If Tim looks at your outfit and it worries him, you better fix it - because something is wrong.
Chris got the worried speech. Tim told him that the frayed edges made it look hand sewn - that it would look better with all frayed edges or none. Chris said that he liked it that way. Well big surprise, on the runway the judges didn't care for it. I thought his dress was cute, but I didn't like the frayed edges either.
Both Vicki and Jillian got the worried speech. Of course, by this time they were both too far invested in their coats to make any real difference. Cut to the runway, and both of them are on the chopping block. And I just can't believe that Vicki thought she was going to get away with that sad skirt attached to a jean jacket. I knew the second that walked down the runway that she was a goner.
Sweet P got the worried speech too, but unlike the others she had the smarts to listen up. When her dress came down the runway it was just fantastic. I do agree with the judges that it didn't have quite enough Levi-ness to it, but it was gorgeous and very well made. I'm glad to see more good work from her - maybe she'll stealth her way into the finals.
I was a little surprised that Christian didn't get the win. Not that I'm complaining - I thought that Ricky deserved it and it was just so perfect after Christian got all bitch mouthy about it earlier in the show. Which I think encompasses two lessons here: 1) Every interview you give has the potential to bite you in the ass later, and 2) Going with what you know is not a bad idea. It's about time Ricky actually did the work he's capable of.
Filed under "Brain candy" by damyano at 04:47 PM | Comments (0)
January 20, 2008
Frisky beef
And no, I'm not talking about half a dozen hawt guys in jock straps, fanning me with palm fronds and feeding me bonbons. Because that would be too easy.
Okay, hold on a sec while I enjoy that image...
No, what I'm talking about is this infernal cold that has had us in a stranglehold for over a week now. If it's going to be this damn cold it needs to fucking snow. Oh but no, instead it freezes the water in the kitty trough so I have to thaw it out every morning so they don't die, and it freezes the stock tank so I have to go fill up the little tank - also so they won't die.
The bad thing is, now the cattle are absolutely certain that I am the most amazing creature on earth, because I make food and water happen whenever they are most desperate. So when they see me they practically stampede to see what my next great trick is going to be. The cold makes the silly critters all frisky and happy too, so now I have to be extra wary while I'm waiting for the stupid tank to fill up, so I don't get accidentally trampled by happy hamburger on the hoof. Tomorrow I am bringing the fly swatter with me - this cuteness shit has got to stop.
Filed under "Living in Texas" by damyano at 09:50 PM | Comments (0)
Late Runway dish
I just haven't been in a bloggish mood lately, so this got delayed.
This week's challenge was a strange one, not something I would have expected. When they said that they were allowed to go over the top I knew that Chris had this one aced. I mean, have you seen his portfolio?
However, when all was said and done, I have to admit that I disagreed with the judges. Chris and his little monkey sidekick did indeed do a fantastic job, but I didn't really care for the ready-to-wear interpretation. The ruffly bit on the front looked kinda bleh to me. I didn't hate it, but I wouldn't dress any of my sims in it. I thought that Jill and Vicki's dress was amazing. The hubby and I were both full on WOW when that girl came down the runway. The ready-to-wear version was nice, not fantastic, but for having been done basically at the last minute I was amazed.
I was a little surprised that Kit got the auf. I was sure that if it was going to be between her and Ricky that Ricky would be the one to go. However, I didn't think it would come to that. I thought that Rami was a big whiny bitch and he deserved to go for putting out a dress that looks pretty much like ever other damn dress he's done. Where does he get off treating Sweet P like that? I am so glad that the judges saw the difference between his work and hers, and recognized that she can indeed make a beautiful dress. But I guess they don't vote you off for being a nasty fuck - we already have Jeffers and Santino (who finally repented at the last) as examples of that.
So, it looks like my hate for this season is officially Rami. Which means he is a shoo-in for the final three. Christian works my nerves, and I could see throwing water balloons at him in the wee hours of a snowy evening, but I don't hate him. I don't have any specific like this season. I like Sweet P, but I'm not sure if she'll make it. I like Chris, and he's already managed to survive the auf, so maybe he's got a shot. But mainly, I want somebody to smack Rami.
Filed under "Brain candy" by damyano at 09:03 PM | Comments (2)
January 10, 2008
It's Wednesday, so you know what this is about
Aw, so sad that the token hetero is auf the Runway. They made them do prom dresses this week, which is similar to the time they made the designers do wedding dresses for the models a couple season's back. Except this time around there was apparently only one tough client and Christian got her.
They gave them a decent budget and time frame to work with, which was a little surprising. Usually they like to do really screwy shit to them, especially when the challenge is a potentially difficult one. So with all the resources at hand all the dresses ended up looking pretty good. As in, none of them were horrible and obviously going to lose - because you know you can't have a whole room full of winners.
I was a bit irked that Sweet P didn't win. I liked her dress way more than Victorya's. Not that Vicki's was awful, but it looked kind of maternity to me. Sweet P's was just gorgeous, and on top of that, she managed to make an excellent editing choice in not using white or ivory, as her client requested. But what do I know - I'm not a fashionista.
I was so sure that Ricky was gonna go. His dress was cute, but on that pale white girl it made her look like a ghost. He really needed to add some color or something to make it pop. I can understand them calling Kevin on his bad finishing (something that I knew was going to come up the second he said he wasn't going to finish the bottom hem), but I didn't think his dress was all that bad. At the end though, when it was just him and Christian up against the wall, I knew it would be Kevin. Because Christian's dress was the better of the two - even if it needed help.
Oh man, and it was such a laugh to see Christian get some comeuppance. I think it's his fault that Sweet P ended up in the bottom group last week because he got all nosy and told her that her first dress was bad. Yes, it wasn't perfect, but I thought her initial idea was solid and just needed some refinement. But no, that annoying little shit with the fucked up hair decided to shake her courage and she up and started all over. Little bastard almost got her voted off, and I like Sweet P. So I'm glad he got the mouthy girl who had decided she was a designer too. So glad that she stuck her fingers into his pie and mixed things up. She cracked me up.
Filed under "Brain candy" by damyano at 01:34 AM | Comments (1)
January 08, 2008
Not impressed at all
I have been playing with this stupid online version of the 20Q for a while now. So far, out of about half a dozen things I've come up with it has managed to guess only one. I've played with one of the actual toys once, and I stumped it too. Now I know, some of my choices are pretty unlikely. I know it isn't going to pick something like cock ring or penile implant or anus. Hell, it almost got anus. But I also picked puzzle ring, which it quasi guessed as an engagement/wedding ring or just a ring. But no, that doesn't count on Jeopardy. It couldn't get Astroturf either, or cow poop (I would have accepted 'manure' but it didn't manage that either).
It got pi though. And really, that doesn't surprise me. I'm not going to give it a break and come up with easy things - that would be entirely pointless. But it's still sad that I can regularly come up with semi obscure things that it is incapable of guessing in twenty-nine tries. So, let's try a few more before I get bored with it:
Fascism - no, but it did get close asking if it was a political party
Vampire - feh, not even close
Pac-Man - nope, and it even asked twice if it was a pinball machine
Pirate - well sonofabitch it actually got one
Okay, let's try self-referential: the 20Q - color me amazed, it got this one too.
Okay, my opinion of the thing is raised slightly. Just slightly. I'm still annoyed that I stumped it with fucking Astroturf though.
Filed under "Nothing in particular" by damyano at 10:26 AM | Comments (0)
January 05, 2008
Cenobunny
Filed under "Nothing in particular" by damyano at 12:41 AM | Comments (0)
January 03, 2008
Candy dish
Well wasn't the candy challenge just so zippy. I want to raid a candy store like that!
I'm a touch irked that Elisa's auf did not include some sort of gaudy insanity. Her dress was kinda flat though - nearly cute, but just so brown and not candylicious like it should have been. Ah well. Definitely a close race between the Twizzler dress and the wrapper party dress. And even tho Sweet P managed to break the button curse she ended up in a tight spot tonight. She needs to go for it and not doubt herself so badly or she's not going to get much further.
Oh, and wasn't Chris' little number just so cute?! Loved it.
Filed under "Brain candy" by damyano at 02:48 AM | Comments (0)